Eating, exploring and enjoying life

Detox in Bali: Day 2 Feeling light and hungry

Sorry it’s taken so long for me to post the accounts of Detox in Bali Day 2!! Click here to read about day 1.

For the second time, I awake to laughter and squeals before 7am. There’s a school beside the Yoga Barn guest house and boy, they start early! It’s hard to get upset about waking up to happy children though.

7am

I sit up and reach for my water bottle and herb capsules. I must drink a litre of water before anything else enters my system. After a couple mouthfuls, I’m forced out of bed and to the toilet. Elimination is key to a good detox.

A few scrapes of my tongue is next up in my morning regime. Rinse with filtered water. Bali is like Mexico: Don’t drink (or brush teeth with) the water.

In my room fridge is a bottle of coconut kefir. It’s a probiotic – great for good gut health. I have my morning shot then jump in the shower.

9am

I have a busy schedule today so once showered and dressed, I wander to the cafe for a coconut water, green juice and more plain water.

I feel satisfied with my liquid breakfast now it’s time to get naked.

10am

I head to the Spa for my infared sauna booking. I like saunas because they make me sweat. I’m not a huge sweater (unless nervous or anxious which is just embarrassing). Another litre of water is downed during my 25 minute stint in the tiny wooden heat box. A cool shower feels heavenly afterwards.

11am

No rest for the wicked now though; I’m off to a Yin Yoga class. I’ve never been to a yin class but I choose it for its gentleness. During a detox, there’s no point pushing the boundaries on your energy levels. Slow and easy does it. There’s a lot of hip openers, which is not easy for me so the 90 minute-class is not as easy as I would have hoped for. I do my best to relax into the poses and enjoy the pain. Hahahahahahaha

1pm

From class, I race to my room for a quick rinse and more peeing then back to the Spa for my Kati Basti massage. Now, this is more like it. All I need to do is lay face down and let some Indian man pour oil into a donut (hmmmmmm donut) shaped clay mould on my lower back. It’s warm and relaxing. The entire treatment is focussed on my lower back, which in Ayurveda, it’s said to house excess Vata. I won’t go into the basis of Ayurveda now but it’s a very interesting way of life from India. My dominating dosha is Vata so this was a valuable session for me. But, what massage isn’t awesome?

230pm

Believe it or not, another appointment but I will keep the details private. I have my second coconut water during this one and of course, more water. During the day, there are many trips to the toilet – to pee. Contrary to what many people think, there is no diarrhoea during a safe detox.

PS. I cheated a little by scraping the inside of the young coconut with my straw. The gel-like meat gets stuck in the straw. It feels like a may suck my eyeballs into my skull as I try to get at that coconut meat.

530pm

Each Wednesday at the Yoga Barn, the American yoga teacher, Levi holds a free community talk on Astrology. Levi does this as a way to promote that fact that he is an astrologer and does readings. Even though I’ve already booked a session with him for tomorrow, I attend the free seminar where he answers general questions about the stars, sun and moon. Afterwards, I stop in at the cafe for the last of my liquid meals for the day: herbal tea and green juice.

730pm

My last appointment for the day: Sound Medicine. I feel like I’ve walked into a 1960s hippy commune when I enter the room. There’s all sorts of musical instruments – everything from drums to Tibetans bowls as well as colourful silks and pillows. There are 3 hosts: 2 are bearded and one’s in a flowing dress. We start off with a sing-along. Now, I really feel like flower power is upon me. Peace man. Once we lay down on our mats we are to be still for the rest of the session. It’s easy at first but then my entire body and soul aches and screams for me to shift and fidget. The girl beside me (who is also on the detox) stomach is growling. Sometimes, there’s a drum or cymbal sounding right over my face. Then, a piece of material is placed on my stomach. Suddenly, my body relaxes and I am calm again. When we are told to open our eyes, I see the red silk on my tummy and I’m amazed at how this was able to still me.

9pm

I’m so tired and hungry that I don’t even attempt my enema. I shower and go straight to bed. I try to read but there’s no point. I can’t stay awake. Day 2 is over. Bring on Day 3. I’m already planning my return to food on Day 4 (breaking the fast).